Lathing



Oct. 8, 1946. A. c. KARELIUS 2,403,781

LA'I'HING Filed Feb 12, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheefl v I INVENTOR. E P$EERTG.KARELIUS ATTO R N EY Oct. 8, 1946. I A. c. KARELIUS 2,408,781

LATHING Filed Feb. 12, 1945 2 Sheets- Sheet 2\ Q Fig.3.

lwkmrlilrlll v INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEY C. KAREuus Patented Oct. 8, 1946 UNI T :E' D (PAT ENT IOF F ITJCIE \LATHING Albert C. Karelius, Altadena, cam.

cfitpplicatiomFebruary 12, 1945, Serial No. 5,7;75507 I9 Claims. .1 l v :Thisinvention relates generally to lathing of (the @character-.=disclosed. in: myaco-pending appliz; cation Serial :No.= 535,615, filed ,May 15, 1944,- and .roflic-ially; allowedon Qctober.-23, 1944. p =its broad aspect, the application above identified disclosesmlathing-consisting of a backing member of flexible sheet-.materialasuch as .Tst-rong, tough paper, nanda meta'llic zreinforce- 11118111;- :composed. entirely -;of front and-"back wires rim-intersecting .-relation,: and between which the backing--:member gis interposed, with such wires being welde'd together at their intersections rt-hrough openings:v in :the backingrsheet in a sin- -g:leswelding operation for maximum. economy,-all fin Isuoh manner as :to ,,,:provide ;,practically the ssame;:plastereembedded reinforcement as would *he-robta'ined by'cthe use of a imesh fabric without saiibackingmember.

.iArprimarysiobj GCtflOf they-present :inventi'on'lis c to fzprovide a' lathingof :the :abovezdescribed :general character having all the advantages :ofrthe :twoswire ,reinforced:lathingas above described, [with can Ia'dded "novel T; functional :relationship 10f :.its :front wires tosrows ao'f ;e1ongated.:.plaster+keying aopienings :1 through :the iba'cking member, 'f or .coiaction withithe :back Wires which span :theaopensings ilongitudinally athereof, Lin :supporting :the :baoking .=-sheetz at zsuchzlocations fthroughout its c areagthat .1 thelbackingssheetzwill :tend: to wield :lmore samiformly lbcth ilongitudinally rand transversely :under I the troweling :pressure crof :mortar against the face ofvzithesba'cking .sheet,::so= as:to obtaizra more uniformplaster coat-thickness free fronnsetting; cracks; and :to :avoidscontinuous lines con-structural :weakness: throughsthe: plaster coat inczanyadirection, whereby ato produce-1a L'finished :productrwhlchwfll iefiectivelytresist 'deformation ragainst'bending :stresses:imposediahereupon lonegitudinally, transversely, or obliquely.

:More specifically, zit :iszanrobject iof'rthepresent :JIHVBIItiOIlitOPIOVidGQa, lathing, thebackingzsheet of :which:- has plaster .zkeying :zopenings .therethrou'gh arranged end to rend in z-pa-rallel "rrows ito lea-ve' webs of backing sheettmaterial l-between the ends 'o'f successive -.openings, and with time o'penings "of each row "Ibeing rstaggered" :with: re- ---spect' -to thezzopenings :ofiadjacent rows sand ';in isufli'ciently soverlaprfingz or. opposedxrelation ifor eachsopenin'g 1116 spanned transversely :by two .front --w.ires, 1 and the openings of each .row

sspanned-ilon-gitudinally by a back ;wire which is -weldedeto'r-theifront wires-through such openings. .IIhis. arrangement-of elements results in .the backingfisheet beingz supported-against the ba'ck wires at the webs" in a staggored-relationv of fthewwebs in adjacent rows of openings, ,softhat. under; the .itrowelingpressure of mortar against theface of the backing sheet, the latter will yield most read- IIily along. continuous intersecting ,paths 'extenfd- 5 '.ing..obli quely .with respect 1to,.and crossing the "front and back wires intermediate Jthe'ir ,intersections, whereby. to produce on the back Ijof the ,plastercoat a. raised reticulated patternob1iqueflyrelatedto .the wire mesh reinforcement, which 1.0 functions as an added. reinforcement tonthellathingflagainstr-deformation by lateral stressesmand coeacts with-the wires to eliminateany continu- .ous line of structural weakness (through the thicknessof the plasterncoatwso asrto obtain ,a

l5 stronger finished product when the ,plasterlhas A further object of. this invention is to provide a lathing ofthe above described character whose staggered and overlapped. arrangement -of elongated plaster keyingopenings in the .backing 'sheet,@with each opening spanned transversely adjacent-its ends by :two front wiresand-, -longitudinally by a .bacl wire, more adequately sup- ,ports the-plastenkeys while setting soflas-toprevent the 'end portions of the .keys from sagging away :from the-body of mortar: under the weight of the keys, 'as well-as reduce the mortar drop-off vfromcthei-keys on :vertical walls, thus producing keys of greater strength which more securely clock; the plaster coat to the lathing.

With these and othertobjects in view, themvention resides in the combinations, arrange- .ments and functional relationships of elements :-as eset -:forth in the following specification and par-ticularly; pointed out: ln-the appended claims.

In :-the l-accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view -showing in frontrelevation, the formof lathingxembodying this invention-and (applied to members of a-building frame;

Figure 2 is a viewpfrthe lath-ing-inrearelevation;

Figures isqa view on a reduced, scale,- showing :the :lathing .in .-rear-e1evation,-,after.the applicaition ofyplasterto-the lathing;

Figgureaifis a, full-size longitudinal sectional -view of: the-lathirrg-taken on the ,1ine-44.-of Eig- .ure;3;

Figure 5 is a full size oblique sectionalview roof ,thet-lat'hing taken ,on.,the line:.5,-.5 of Figure 50 ,3; and I ,Figureso and I-are fullsize transverse ;secrtional views taken,respectively, ontheilines 6-6 .and 1-4 of FigurelB.

-l-Referringtspecifically to the drawings, the invention sin its illustrated embodiment f broadly 3 comprises a backing member 13 and a plaster reinforcing metal fabric F. The backing member B may be constructed from suitable sheet material such as strong, tough paper out into rectangular sheets of a predetermined standard size. The member is provided throughout its area with precut elongated openings l defining relatively narrow slots which are arranged end to end in uniformly spaced parallel rows whose center-tocenter dimension may be two inches in practice, as an example. The ends of successive openings I0 of the horizontally disposed rows for a vertical wall as illustrated in the drawings, are spaced apart a relatively short distance to provide an intervening web II of backing sheet material, which, in practice can be as little as threeeighths or one-fourth of an inch.

It will be noted that the openings ofany one row are uniformly offset with respect to the next or adjacent rows, so that the webs II of alternate rows of the openings are correspondingly staggered. Furthermore, the end portions of the openings are in a considerably overlapped or opposed relationship to the end portions of the openings of the next row, as most clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The plaster reinforcing metal fabric F consists of one series of front wires I5 and one series of larger back wires it arranged in right angular intersecting relation. The backing member B is interposed between the two series of wires, with the back wires spaced apart the same distance (two inches) a the rows of openings l0, and spanning the'latter longitudinally as shown best in Figure 2. The front wires may, in practice, be spaced a lesser distance such as one and.

one-half inches, than the back wires I6, and

span the openings ID transversely thereof.

It will be noted most clearly from Figure 1 that by virtue of the staggered relationships of each row of openings Hi to the next row thereof, and the considerably overlapped or opposed relationship of the end portions of the openings of each row to those of adjacent rows, each opening is spanned transversely adjacent its ends by two front wires I5 which are welded or otherwise permanently secured to the back wires IS in the openings If), as indicated at IT. The metal fabric F is now a unitary reinforcing structure between whose two series of wires I5 and IS the backing member B is locked.

The sheets of lathing as above described are secured at intervals (six inches or less) with their edges in overlapped relation as shown in Figure 1, to members M such as studs or rafters thus formed by the lathin-g Assuming that a vertical wall is to be plastered,

and that the rows of openings It in the lathing are horizontally disposed, mortar is troweled as in normal plastering technique, against the front faces of the backing members B by a first upward stroke and then generally horizontal back and forth spreading strokes to flatten out the surface of the mortar.

Due to the above described staggered and overlapped relationship of the openings Illof each ,row'to the openings of adjacent rows, with a corresponding staggered relationship of the webs ll of the respective rows, it'will be clear that at the webs, the backing members will offer the maximum resistance to lateral deformation or 1 secting relation so as to cross the two series of wires intermediate the welded intersections of the wires as clearly shown by the aforesaid 1 lines 11.

'The flexing of the backing member in this manner under troweling pressure creates on the back of the plaster a raised reticulated pattern as indicated at I9 in Figure 3, which is obliquely related to the pattern formed by the wire mesh reinforcement F 50 as to act as an added reinforcement of the lathing against deformation by bending stresses, and co-acts with the wires to avoid any continuous line of structural weakness through the thickness of the'plaster, thus rendering the latter substantially uniform in strength throughout its area.

Under the troweling pressure, mortar is forced through the openings Ill around the portion of the back wire I6 and the two front wires I5 spanning each opening, so as to form plaster keys 20 in which the back wires are embedded substantially throughout their lengths as shown in Figure 4-. Furthermore, the front wires I5 are completely embedded in plaster throughout their lengths as shown in'Figure 6 so as to lock the plaster to the fabric F with practically the same efficiency as would be obtained without a backing member, yet providing all the advantages of the latter in preventing the waste of plaster by areas of excessive thickness.

It will also be noted that with the front wire spanning each opening I0 adjacent its ends, the mortar, which when set forms the plaster keys 20, is more adequately supported by these wires against breaking away under its weight, so that partially fractured or cracked plaster keys are prevented, and maximum locking action from the plaster key obtained. Mortar drop-off from the plaster keys is also minimized by the support given to the mortar by this novel arrangement of the wires in the openings.

In conclusion, it will be manifest from the foregoing description that the present invention not only provides for manufacturing of the product at a relatively low cost with only a singlewelding operation of the front and back wires I5 and I6 through the openings I0 of the interposed backing member B being required to complete the lathing in a continuous operation, but that the plaster coat applied to the lathin-g will be locked to the metal fabric F with maximum security and will be free from continuous lines of structural weakness through the. plaster in any direction across the lathing; Furthermorethe novel arrangement of reinforcing wires I5 and I6 and openings H] in the backing member. o ables the mortar to be-readily applied to obtain an economical plaster coat of substantially uniform thickness with a flat outer surface. Also, no such sagging of the mortar while setting, will occur to produce cracks in the dried plaster coat which might structurally weaken same, or be difiicult'if not impossible to fill by application of another coat of plaster,

a tate-1 '1. "ll-iathingof the described com-prising: af-bac ng. memberoffl T ible sheet mater ial having elongated openings spaced end 'toend in parallel rowsts leave relatively narrowwebs" of backing sheet material between the'ends of the openings the fopeningsof each row being stag gered wit respecttQ fthe openings of adjacent rows; "'a-"met'al-reinforcing fabric having wires spanning said openings longitudinally thereof on one side of the member, and having other wires spanning all openings of all rows transversely thereof on the other side of the member; and means permanently securing said wires together at their intersections in said openings.

2. Lathing of the class described comprising: a backing member of flexible sheet material having elongated openings spaced end to end in parallel rows to leave relatively narrow webs of backing sheet material between the ends of the openings; the openings of each row being staggered with respect to the openings of adjacent rows; the end portions of the openings of each row being in opposed relation to the end portions of the openings of adjacent rows; a metal reinforcing fabric having wires spanning said openings longitudinally on one side of said member, and having other wires spanning said end portions of all openings transversely on the other side of the member; and means permanently securing said wires together at their intersections in said openings.

3. Lathing of the class described comprising: a backing member of flexible sheet material having elongated openings spaced end to end in parallel rows to leave relatively narrow webs of backing sheet material between the ends of the openings; the openings of each row being sta gered with respect to the openings of adjacent rows; a metal reinforcing fabric having wires spanning said openings longitudinally thereof on one side of the member, and having other wires spanning the openings transversely thereof on the other side of the member; the endportions of the openings of each row being in opposed relation to the end portions of the openings of adjacent rows, with each opening being spanned at said end portionsby two of said other wires; and means permanently securing said wires together at their intersections in saidopenings.

4. Lathing of the class described comprising: a backing member of flexible sheet material having elongated openings spaced end to end in parallel rows to leave, relatively narrow webs of backing sheet material between the ends of the openings; the openings of each row being staggered with respect to the openings of adjacent rows; a metal reinforcing fabric having wires spanning said openings longitudinally thereof on one side of the member, and having other wires spanning the openings transversely thereof on the other side of the member; the end portions of the openings of each row being in opposed relation to the end portions of the openings of adjacent rows, with each opening. being spanned at said end portions by two of said other wires; and means permanently securing said wires together at their intersections in said openings; said other wires being sufiiciently near the extremities of said openings to support the end portions of plaster keys in said openings against cracking away under their weight, from the body of plaster v applied to the lathing.

*6 h-aving elongated openings spaoed end teemm parallel rows to leave r'elatively narrow web of backing sheet material between the ends ofI -the openings; "the opening-sfofeachgrow beingstaggered with respect to the openings of fadi-acent rows; and a metal reinforcing fabric composed of front and back wires between which the back ing, along intersecting paths obliquely related to said fabric and intermediate the wire intersec-' tions of the latter, so as to form on the back surface of the plaster a raised, reticulated pattern reinforcing the plaster coat.

6. Lathing of the class described comprising: a backing member of flexible sheet material having elongated openings spaced end to end in parallel rows to leaverelatively narrow webs of backing sheet material between the ends of the openings; the openings of each row being staggered with respect to the openings of adjacent rows; and a metal reinforcing fabric composed of front and back wires between which the backing member is interposed, with the wires respectively spanning said openings transversely and longitudinally and being welded together at their intersections in said openings; the end portions of the openings of each row being in sufficiently opposed relation to the end portions of the openings of adjacent rows for each'opening to be spanned transversely at its end portions by two of said front wires, for co-action of the fabric and backing member in preventing continuous lines of weakness through the thickness of a coat of plaster applied to the lathing.

7. Lathing of the class described comprising: a flexible backing sheet having elongated openings spaced end to end to leave relatively narrow webs of backing'sheet material between the ends ofthe openings, with the webs of each row in staggered relation to the webs of adjacent rows; andfront and back wires respectively spanning said openings transversely and longitudinally thereof on opposite sides of the sheet and welded together at their intersections in said openings, with two front wires spanning an opening for coaction with the backing sheet in rendering the latter most freely yieldable to the pressure of I mortar applied to the lathing, along intersecting lines obliquely related to said wires and intermediate their intersections, for the purpose de-.

scribed.

8. Lathing of the class described comprising: a flexible backing sheet having elongated openings spaced end to end to leave relatively narrow webs of backing sheet material between the ends of the openings, with the webs of each row in staggered relation to the webs of adjacent rows; and front and back wires respectively spanning said openings transversely and longitudinally thereof on opposite sides of the sheet and welded together at theirintersections in said openings, for co-action with the backing sheet in rendering the latter most freely yieldable to the pressure of mortar applied to the lathing, along intersecting lines obliquely related to said wires and intermediate their intersections; each of said openings being spanned transversely adjacent its ends by the front wires for co-action of the back wires therewith at their intersections, in adequately supporting the end portions of plaster keys in said openings against breaking away from the plastic mortar when applied to the lathing.

9. Lathing of the class described comprising:

a metal reinforcing fabric consisting entirely of two series of wires in right angular relation and welded together at their intersections; and a flex- 

